The General Commission on Religion and Race Board of Directors meeting in Manila, Philippines, October 18–24, 2025
General Commission on Religion and Race | October 31, 2025
WASHINGTON — The General Commission on Religion and Race (GCORR) of The United Methodist Church held its Fall 2025 Board of Directors meeting in Manila, Philippines, Oct. 18–24, deepening the agency’s commitment to worldwide equity, cross-cultural understanding, and partnership across the worldwide church.
The weeklong gathering brought together board members, staff, and ministry partners for worship, immersion, and vital conversations around GCORR’s ongoing work to build a more inclusive and equitable church.
Immersion and Learning in Context
Before the formal sessions, board members participated in an immersion experience throughout Metro Manila. They visited Harris Memorial College, engaging with students and faculty to learn about the school’s mission and ministries in theological education and community service. In Antipolo, members visited the historic cathedral and reflected on the intersection of faith, history, and local culture.
The second day of immersion took the board to Manila North Cemetery, where they met with Kapatiran-Kaunlaran Foundation, Inc. (KKFI), a faith-based nonprofit that partners with residents of the cemetery—home to over 10,000 people who live and work as caretakers. Board members met families and community leaders, learning about KKFI’s education and support programs that bring hope and opportunity to children growing up within this unique community.
In the afternoon, they met with the Philippine Central Conference Disability Ministry at the UMC headquarters, learning about the church’s vibrant and growing ministry that continues to advance accessibility and inclusion across the Philippines. They also met with the Manila Episcopal Area Anti-Human Trafficking and Migrant Ministry, hearing testimonies from former overseas Filipino seafarers and learned about the church’s vital work in advocacy, protection, and empowerment for migrant communities.
A conversation with the Philippine Central Conference Committee on Religion and Race helped frame these immersion experiences within the broader realities and opportunities of doing inclusion and equity work in the region.
GCORR extends its deepest gratitude to its hosts and partners in the Philippines—including local pastors, tour guides, immersion facilitators, and United Methodist Church leaders—for their warm hospitality, generosity, and collaboration in making this board meeting both meaningful and successful.
A moving video recap is available to watch here.
Vital Conversations and Worldwide Ministry
Throughout the meeting, the board engaged in a series of “Vital Conversations” focused on the ongoing ministry, priorities, and future direction of GCORR across its worldwide contexts.
In his address, Rev. Dr. Giovanni Arroyo, General Secretary of GCORR, reminded the board that their gathering is not merely one of governance but of discernment, courage, and faith. Reflecting on the Emmaus story, Arroyo called the board to recognize the presence of Christ in their shared journey toward equity and belonging.
“We are reclaiming equity as central to discipleship—not as a side project or political statement, but as an act of faithfulness to the Gospel,” said Arroyo. “We are reimagining belonging not as assimilation but as the full affirmation of every person’s sacred worth. Inclusion is our heart. Equity is our work. Justice is our calling.”
Arroyo highlighted recent milestones in GCORR’s ministry, including:
- The successful Facing the Future Conference in Los Angeles, led by newly appointed staff member Rev. Rachel Ringlaben;
- The Immigration Summit in Omaha, which gathered leaders from 43 conferences and the Methodist Church of Puerto Rico to bridge theology, advocacy, and policy;
- The development and launch of GCORR’s Vital Conversation on Immigration;
- New partnership with Africa University to address tribalism, equity, and reconciliation within the African context; and
- GCORR’s continued commitment to justice through its federal court appeal, emphasizing accountability and moral integrity as expressions of faithful leadership.
Arroyo also underscored the importance of leading courageously in a changing world where diversity, equity, and inclusion are increasingly politicized.
“GCORR does not exist to protect an institution; we exist to transform it,” he said. “We are not called to manage decline but to steward transformation.”
Other highlights of the board’s sessions included:
- GCORR Ministry Updates, where Senior Director of Program and Education Rev. Enger Muteteke and Senior Director of Communications & Marketing Ms. Jeehye Kim shared ongoing initiatives, communications strategies, and ministry impact;
- Regionalization Conversations, exploring how GCORR’s work will adapt and contextualize across Africa, the Philippines, Europe, and the United States; and
- Engagement with Young People in the Philippines, highlighting emerging leadership and the church’s commitment to empowering youth voices in intercultural and inclusive ministry.
The board also reviewed and approved the 2026 budget, received reports from the Governance, Finance, and CORR Action Fund committees, and discussed upcoming priorities leading to General Conference 2028.
Looking Ahead
The meeting concluded with a closing communion service, a moment of blessing and sending forth that reaffirmed GCORR’s mission to create right and just relationships among all people.
“Gathering in the Philippines reminds us that the work of equity and inclusion is not confined to one nation or region,” said GCORR Board President Bishop Moore-Koikoi. “We are part of a worldwide movement toward justice—a movement shaped by shared stories, diverse contexts, and a common call to embody God’s love in tangible ways.”
GCORR’s next Board of Directors meeting will be held in March 2026.